Window curtain assembly having a tension spring retraction mechanism

ABSTRACT

A window curtain assembly includes a foldable curtain have one end attached to a tubular mounting frame so that a handle on the other end of the curtain can be pulled to extend the curtain across the window. The curtain is retracted to a folded condition by a tension spring located within the tubular frame. A tractive tying line has two parallel runs extending along the curtain surface into the tubular frame. Segments of the line extend back and forth around a system of pulleys located within the frame. Two of the pulleys are connected to one end of the spring, so that the spring is able to draw the two pulleys along the frame. The tractive line is drawn into the tubular frame to move the curtain to its folded state.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

When an automobile is left unattended for a period of time undersummertime conditions, solar rays can penetrate the automobile windowsto heat the interior space within the automobile to an undesired extent.A person entering the automobile can experience an uncomfortableoppressive burning sensation.

Another problem associated with an unattended automobile is thepossibility that a person might look through one of the automobilewindows in search of loose items that could be removed or stolen.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is concerned with a curtain assembly installableon the window of an automobile for adjustment between an open positionalong side edges of the window and a closed position spanning the windowsurface. Such a curtain assembly will prevent solar rays from passingthrough the window to heat the interior space within the automobile. Thecurtain assembly will also conceal the automobile interior space fromthe view of persons passing by the automobile; items left in theautomobile are less likely to be stolen.

In a preferred practice of the invention, two curtain assemblies areused for the front window of an automobile. Each curtain assemblycomprises a tubular frame installable along one edge of the window, anda foldable accordian-type curtain having one edge secured to the tubularframe; a handle at the free edge of the curtain can be pulled to drawthe curtain across the window. Each curtain assembly spans one half ofthe window area.

Each foldable curtain is folded against the associated tubular frame bya retraction mechanism located within the frame. A tension spring isused in conjunction with a line-pulley system to move one set of pulleysaway from a set of non-movable pulleys, whereby a flexible line (orcord) trained around the pulleys is drawn into the tubular frame toretract the curtain to a folded condition against the frame.

In an extended usage of the invention, a foldable curtain structureaccording to the invention can be used on the window of a building forprivacy or shade purposes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an elevational perspective view of a pair of curtainassemblies constructed according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of componentry used in the FIG. 1 curtainassembly.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a curtain assembly of the presentinvention in a folded state.

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of a curtain assembly of the presentinvention in an open state.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a frame mounting mechanism used in thepresent invention.

FIG. 6 a sectional view taken through the frame mounting mechanism shownin FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a view taken in the same direction as FIG. 6 but showing themechanism in a different condition of adjustment.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a curtain assembly used on a buildingwindow.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a mounting device used on the FIG. 8curtain assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As shown in FIG. 1 and 2, there are two visor combinations or windowcurtains (100) constructed according to the present invention forinstallation on the front and rear windshield glass of a car forpreventing sunshine and light from entering the car interior space. Thevisor combination device consists of two separate but symmetric visordevices (100) each one of which consists of a foldable visor curtain(10), a long tubular frame (20) and a tractive tying line L. One end ofthe foldable visor curtain (10) is fixed on the tubular frame (20),while the other end thereof is provided with a hook-and-loop fastenerpatch 11A or 11B for mutual adhesion of the two visor devices (100) whenthe respective curtains are extended across the window. Each curtain(10) has a pull handle (12) with a hole (12A) designed for manuallydrawing the visor curtain (10) across the window.

As shown in FIG. 2, the tubular frame (20) is a hollow tube having upperand lower ends, and two holes (21) spaced from the tube ends. The tubealso has two sets of mounting holes (22) and (24) for attaching pads tothe tube. The holes (21) are aligned with holes (13) on each foldingstrip of the visor curtain (10) to form passages for the tractive tyingline L; as seen in FIG. 4, the tractive tying line L includes twoparallel runs passing through the aligned holes 13 in the foldablestrips of the curtain.

Referring to FIGS. 2 through 4, tube (20) is provided with an uppercover (30A) and a lower cover (30B). The upper cover (30A) comprises arod(33) that forms an anchorage for one end of a tension spring (40).The other end of Spring (40) is anchored on a pulley seat (50). Twopulleys (61,62) are rotatably mounted on a pin (51) in the pulley seat(50).

The lower cover (30B) on tube (20) carries a pin (32) that rotatablymounts two pulleys (63). The aforementioned tractive tying line L runsback and forth around the four pulleys so as to actuate the foldablevisor curtain (10) between the extended condition (FIG. 4) and thecollapsed condition (FIG. 3).

As shown in FIGS. 2, 5 and 6, the tubular frame (20) is provided withmounting pads (70) and (80) near its upper and lower ends. Each pad (70)is provided with a hook structure (71) and two oppositely facing lugs72. Each pad (80) forms two facing grooves or pockets (84,85) containingthe lugs (72). A flat outer surface on each pad (80) is provided with adouble-face glue-spreading adhesive tape (81) through which the visordevice of the present invention can be adhered to the windshield glassof a car (not shown).

As seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, each groove (84) is wider than the associatedgroove (pocket 85), such that the pad (70) can pivot relative to pad(80), whereby pad (80) can conform to a range of different windowcurvatures.

As shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, pad (70) can be assembled to tubular frame(20) by inserting hook structure (71) through hole (22) so that theprotuberance (73) on the hook structure enters into the detent hole (24)located alongside hole (22). Each pad (80) is pivotably adjustablyconnected to the associated pad (70), via lugs (72) and pockets (84,85)whereby the pad assembly can be used to mount the tubular frame (20)on acurved windshield of an automobile.

As shown in FIG. 2 and 3, when the visor device (100) of the presentinvention is folded, the tractive tying line L extends through holes(13) on each folding strip of the visor curtain (10) and holes (21) ontubular frame (20). Within tube (20), the tractive tying line L isintegrated into a single ply to wind around the pulleys (63, 61, 64, and62)in sequence; finally the ends of the tractive tying line L are fixedor anchored in the grooves (23) on tube (20) (see FIG. 2).

As shown in FIG. 3, when the visor curtain (10) is folded the tensionspring (40) in tube (20) is not subject to the tractive action ofexternal force but is in a retracted state. However, as shown in FIG. 4,when the visor curtain (10) is to be extended, a manual force F isapplied to the pull handle (12) to extend the visor curtain (10); thetractive tying line L is pulled out from tube (20) so as to draw thetension spring (40) and the pulleys (61,62) on the pulley seat (50),downwardly, to thereby let the visor curtain (10) extend away from tube(20), as shown in FIG. 4

The present invention consists of two symmetric similarly-constructedvisor devices (100), so that the two curtains (10) are extended thehook-and-loop patches 11A and 11B can be adhered together to hold thetwo curtains in extended (closed) positions; patches 11A and 11B serveas latches to keep the curtains closed. The visor assemblies (100) canbe used on the front and rear windshield glass of a car to prevent solarheat and light from being transmitted into the car, especially when thecar is left unattended outdoors for extended periods of time.

FIG. 8 shows a single curtain assembly installed on an indoor window(97) of a building. In such an installation it is not necessary toprovide mounting pads (70) and (80) for mounting tube (20) on thewindow. Instead, the covers (91) at the ends of the tube (20) can beprovided with mounting holes or notches. As shown in FIG. 9, a tube endcover (91) has threaded holes (92), and notches (93) and (94) forreceiving screws (95) (FIG. 8), whereby tube (20) can be mounted on thealuminum frame (96) of a building window (97). Alternately, ahook-and-loop fastener with a hook side (or loop side) can be adhered tothe back of tube (20, and a hook-and-loop fastener with a correspondingloop side (or hook side) can be adhered to the aluminum window frame(96), in order to mount tube (20) on the window frame.

When the visor device (100) is used as the visor of indoor window (97),the hook hole (12A) on the pull handle (12) can be engaged on a nail(98) on the frame (96), to hold the curtain in its extended position.The mechanism for retracting the curtain to its folded (open) state canbe the same as shown and described for the car window-curtain assembly.

I claim:
 1. A visor assembly installable on a window comprising:atubular frame (12) having first and second ends; a foldable curtain (10)having first an second end edges; said first end edge being secured tosaid tubular frame; a handle (12) on said second edge for exerting amanual pulling force on said curtain; a spring anchorage means (31) atthe first end of said tubular frame; first and second pulleys (63,64)mounted within said tubular frame at said second end of said frame; apulley seat means (50) floatably disposed within said tubular frame;third and fourth pulleys (61,62) mounted on said pulley seat means; atension spring trained between said spring anchorage means and saidpulley seat means to exert a force pulling said first and second pulleysaway from said third and fourth pulleys; two openings (21,21) in saidframe spaced from said frame ends; a line anchorage means (23) proximateto said first end of the tubular frame; and a tractive tying line (L)having two parallel runs extending from said second edge of the curtainthrough said openings in said frame; said tractive line furthercomprising line segments extending back and forth around said pulleys tosaid line anchorage means, whereby a manual pulling force on said handlemoves said third and fourth pulleys toward said first and second pulleysin opposition to the force of said tension spring.
 2. A visor assemblycomprising two similarly constructed visor units, each visor unitcomprising:a tubular frame (12) having first and second ends; a foldablecurtain (10) having first and second end edges; said first end edgebeing secured to said tubular frame; a handle (12) on said second edgefor exerting a manual pulling force on said curtain; a spring anchoragemeans (31) at the first end of said tubular frame; first and secondpulleys (63,64) mounted within said tubular frame at said second end ofsaid frame; a pulley seat means (50) floatably disposed within saidtubular frame; third and fourth pulleys (61,62) mounted on said pulleyseat means; a tension spring trained between said spring anchorage meansand said pulley seat means to exert a force pulling said first andsecond pulleys away from said third and fourth pulleys; two openings(21,21) in said frame spaced from said frame ends; a line anchoragemeans (23) proximate to said first end of the tubular frame; and atractive tying line (L) having two parallel runs extending from saidsecond edge of the curtain through said openings in said frame; saidtractive line further comprising line segments extending back and fortharound said pulleys to said line anchorage means, whereby a manualpulling force on said handle moves said third and fourth pulleys towardsaid first and second pulleys in opposition to the force of said tensionspring; said similarly-constructed visor units being adapted forpositionment on an automobile window, with the tubular frames of therespective units located at the side edges of the window, so that thehandles on the respective units can be drawn together to pull therespective curtains across the window.
 3. The visor assembly of claim 2,and further comprising means for mounting each tubular frame on anautomobile window, each said mounting means comprising a pad assembly ateach end of the respective tubular frame; each pad assembly comprising afirst pad secured to the associated tubular frane and a second padpivotably attached to said first pad; said second pad having a flat facepresentable to the surface of an automobile window, whereby the padassembly is securable to the window.
 4. The visor assembly of claim 3,wherein each said first pad comprises two oppositely extending extendinglugs (72,72), and each said second pad comprises two facing pockets(84,85) receiving therein the respective lugs; one of said pockets beingwider than the other pocket so that the lug in said one pocket can moveback and forth to provide a pivotable adjustment of the second padrelative to the first pad.